The present invention relates to the field of robots, and particularly to a robot joint having an electric drive motor and step-down transmission built integrally into the housing for the motor.
Jointed robots and joint designs for robot arms are known in varied embodiments. See, for instance, German AS 25 26 504, German AS 11 48 721, European Patent Applications 22 332 and 48 905. In these arrangements, the motors and step-down transmissions are in part made integral with the joints.
Industrial robots should preferably meet the following requirements:
It should be possible to assemble them in a modular design, i.e., in the form of a building blocks. Additionally, robots should require little space and should be characterized by ease of assembly and maintenance. Furthermore, high travel velocity and positioning accuracy are required.